Blackwater Tied To CIA Assassination Plot [So What? Letters of Marque & Reprisal?]

NYTimes ^ | August 19, 2009

[Steelfish]

Blackwater tied to CIA assassination plot

Firm's officials were recruited in effort to kill top al-Qaida operatives

By MARK MAZZETTI

WASHINGTON - The Central Intelligence Agency in 2004 hired outside contractors from the private security contractor Blackwater USA as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda, according to current and former government officials.

Executives from Blackwater, which has generated controversy because of its aggressive tactics in Iraq, helped the spy agency with planning, training and surveillance. The C.I.A. spent several million dollars on the program, which did not capture or kill any terrorist suspects.

The fact that the C.I.A. used an outside company for the program was a major reason that Leon E. Panetta, the new C.I.A. director, became alarmed and called an emergency meeting to tell Congress that the agency had withheld details of the program for seven years, the officials said.

[DJ MacWoW]

I thought that I read this never happened. That it was “on paper only”.

[digger48]

It would have made the country far safer if they had been sent to dispatch top New York Times operatives.

[Patrick1]

Good.

[mortal19440]

So what? Panetta is a pussy and along with Holder will ruin the CIA. The enemy is right here trying to bring this country down. Pity!

[theFIRMbss]

>The fact that the C.I.A. used an outside company for the program was a major reason that Leon E. Panetta, the new C.I.A. director, became alarmed and called an emergency meeting to tell Congress that the agency had withheld details of the program

You don't see Britain
giving double-0 status
to clerks from Harrods...

[FlingWingFlyer]

The Commie left still whining about Americans killing their Islamofascist terrorist pals. This is getting old.

[DesertRhino]

“as part of a secret program to locate and assassinate top operatives of Al Qaeda”

Ok, lets say it’s exactly as the times said, why should i care? Pay the girlscouts to give em arsenic cookies, im REALLY REALLY ok with it.

[Steelfish]

True- but even if it did, the use of trained third party individuals to kill and capture al-Qaeda should be applauded. Indeed, the Constitution allows Congress to provide for Letters of Marque and Reprisal. Now Congress may not have done so. But the President is also Commander in Chief.

[DesertRhino]

You don’t see Britain
giving double-0 status
to clerks from Harrods...

We arent talking about clerks from Harrahs. We are talking about recently separated Seals, Delta, Rangers, etc. They love this nation. They do dangerous work that frankly, they deserve the pay they get. Blackwater is still OUR BOYS. And since when do we have to live up to what the Brits do with a fictional secret agent corps.

[DJ MacWoW]

The NYTimes said this: Executives from Blackwater, which has generated controversy because of its aggressive tactics in Iraq, helped the spy agency with planning, training and surveillance. The C.I.A. spent several million dollars on the program, which did not capture or kill any terrorist suspects.

But this article disagrees.

Leon Panetta's CIA Disclosure Was MAJOR Screw-Up

The program, which sources told FOX News was a plan to capture or kill Al Qaeda operatives, also never came close to being operational, the intelligence official said.

So what in the world is the truth? Btw, I doubt the NYTimes knows the definition of truth.

I agree with your post too. It's a shame it never happened.

[taxesareforever]

“The C.I.A. spent several million dollars on the program, which did not capture or kill any terrorist suspects.”

So, what’s your point? I know, you want to give our intelligence agencies as many black eyes as you can.

[DJ MacWoW]

Left a quote out from the link that I posted.

"This was not a program. It never began," the former official said. "The authority was given by Congress to develop this idea. ... There was no need to brief it. It wasn't a reality."

[theFIRMbss]

>We arent talking about clerks from Harrahs. We are talking about recently separated Seals, Delta, Rangers, etc

But my point is real.
There are legal restrictions
to the armed forces

acting here at home.
I strongly suspect someone
wants to go outside

the military
because eventually
they could then target

pesky militias,
pesky religious compounds,
and well-armed folks here.

[penelopesire]

Obama’s internal poll numbers must really be tanking...again...lol. Everytime Obama is in trouble..the NYT or another Obama media shill is ordered to drag this stupid CIA crap up again!

HORROR OF HORRORS..PRESIDENT BUSH WAS TRYING TO KILL TERRORISTS! SHAME ON HIM! /sarcasm

[DesertRhino]

And Charles Lindberg flew combat missions P-38s and Corsairs in the Pacific in WWII,,,,as a CIVILIAN tech rep.
Bell tech reps flew along in Vietnam on combat missions. The USN Destroyer that shot down the satellite last year, had Raytheon tech reps (civilians) aboard.

American civilians, working hand in hand with our military effort is nothing new, and is honorable. The left is villifying these good men from blackwater who indeed are serving their country.

[WSGilcrest]

Nope, we did not capture or kill any terrorist subjects!

[paul51]

Someone was scheming to kill enemy terrorists? Oh my. Scandalous

[max americana]

Blackwater rocks.

[nufsed]

Thank goodness. Great idea.